In a significant development, a prominent prosecutor from a rural Arizona county has had his salary revoked amid pending criminal charges related to the misuse of public funds. This decision came just days before Michael Whiting, a Democrat, was set to run unopposed for reelection, following a vote from county elected officials on Thursday.

Effective Friday, Whiting’s law license will also be suspended, as announced by the State Bar of Arizona, which is currently addressing a disciplinary case involving him.

Neither Whiting nor his legal representative, Bruce Griffen, offered any comments regarding the decision made by the three-member Apache County Board of Supervisors during their meeting in St. Johns, Arizona.

The legal troubles for Whiting and his wife, Joyclynn “Joy” Whiting, who serves as the county’s school superintendent, escalated in August when they were indicted by Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes. The couple allegedly misappropriated nearly $80,000 from school superintendent funds to purchase a new pickup truck, primarily utilized by Michael Whiting. Both defendants have entered a plea of not guilty.

In addition to these accusations, Michael Whiting faces a total of eight additional charges, including theft, falsifying public records, and making threats against an individual who sought to oppose his wife for the superintendent position.

Although the Whitings were initially running for reelection without opposition, reports indicate that Michael Whiting now has two write-in challengers. Notably, if he were to win, he would be ineligible to serve due to his suspended law license.

Michael Whiting has held the role of county attorney since 2008, while Joy Whiting was first elected as school superintendent in 2020.